International statistics

18 December 2014 à 17:45

French films at the international box office: November 2014

In November, French films continued to build on the excellent results registered in international markets since the beginning of 2014. In the wake of a new record set by Lucy last month, the end of the year shows a string of French titles putting in strong performances abroad.

With just a few weeks remaining until the end of the year, 2014 stands out as one of the most successful years for French cinema in recent history. Following the month of October, in whichLucybroke existing attendance records registered by UniFrance Films over the past twenty years, November saw a number of French-language films confirm their already strong international careers. Nine majority French productions attracted more than 100,000 admissions in November, of which five titles are French-language productions.

Indeed, Beauty and the Beast has proved a smash hit with Japanese audiences. After four weeks on the screens, this film released by Gaga Corporation has already won over more than 700,000 spectators. It is worthwhile recalling that the director's previous film, Brotherhood of the Wolf, which was released in Japan in 2002 by the same distributor, ended its run with 58,000 admissions. Beauty and the Beast now ranks as the second most successful French film in Japan in 2014, after Lucy (Toho-Towa Company–775,000 admissions), whose score it is likely to exceed in upcoming weeks. In other markets, Beauty and the Beast has attracted half a million moviegoers in Italy (Notorious Pictures–798,000 admissions), 645,000 admissions in Russia (West Video–645,000 admissions), and 523,000 in China (Huaxia). This makes for a total of 4.2 million admissions in 24 markets at the end of November, thus positioning the film as the second best performing French-language film abroad in 2014, after Serial (Bad) Weddings and its 5.8 million admissions score outside France. Beauty and the Beast is one of the thirteen French films to have attracted more than 1 million spectators in international markets since the beginning of the year—noting that only ten films achieved this feat in 2013.

Babysitting has got off to a strong start in Russia, where it took out 5th place in the local charts on its opening weekend. Released by Central Partnership on 526 prints, it amassed 180,000 admissions in ten days. After an enthusiastic reception in Italy last summer (Eagle Pictures) with 156,000 spectators registered, Babysitting posted a total of 366,000 in five markets outside France at the end of November.

With over 6.5 million admissions registered in Russia since the beginning of the year, French films have enjoyed an excellent year, almost rivaling the highly successful results of 2012 (6.9 million admissions).

Belle and Sébastienhas had a triumphant debut in Poland. Released by Monolith Films, it jumped to 5th place at the box office in its opening week, with 91,000 admissions registered in 142 theaters. With a total of 184,000 admissions registered in 3 weeks, Poland ranks as the film's second most successful market, behind its outstanding performance in Italy (Notorious Pictures–1.2 million admissions) and ahead of its fine score in Belgium (Belga Films–156,000 admissions). By the end of November, Belle and Sébastien tallied a total of 1.9 million admissions in 20 international markets. 2014 was an outstanding year for French films in Poland, with over 2.8 million spectators registered by mid-November, as compared to an average of between 1 and 2 million admissions recorded annually in the past ten years (with the exception of 2012, in which an impressive 3,8 million admissions were registered). More than forty French films have hit the screens in Poland since the start of 2014.

Another excellent performance in Poland in this period is credited to Serial (Bad) Weddings(Gutek Film), which clocked up 38,000 admissions in 92 theaters in three days, ranking in 7th spot at the box office at the end of its opening week. By the end of November, it posted over 100,000 admissions. It has also been released in Romania (Odeon Cineplex SRL), with close to 8,000 admissions registered in 3 days from 25 prints. This propelled the film to 5th place in the local charts, with 20,000 admissions to date at the end of November. Serial (Bad) Weddings has just crossed the 3.5 million admissions mark in Germany (Neue Visionen Filmverleih). It is coming close to reaching 400,000 admissions in Austria (Filmladen), a feat that only two French majority productions—The Intouchables (Constantin Film–763,000 admissions) and Asterix and Obelix versus Cesar (Constantin–435,000)—have achieved since UniFrance Films began monitoring film statistics in this market. At the end of November, Serial (Bad) Weddings posted a total of 5.8 million spectators in the 23 international markets in which it has been released.

Diplomacyhas had an encouraging launch in Quebec. Released on 7 prints by Métropole Films Distribution, it raked in $CAD38,000 in its opening week, representing just over 4,200 admissions. It achieved the 4th best per-print average in terms of attendance in this period. Released in around twenty markets since March this year, in which it registered a total of 185,000 admissions by the end of November, Diplomacy is scheduled to hit theaters at the end of the year in Norway (Europafilm SA) and will be released in Japan (Tokyo Theatres), Australia, and New Zealand (Madman) in January 2015.

In European markets, Sambahas had a successful debut in the Netherlands (Independent Films Nederland). With box office revenues of €360,000 in its opening week from 57 prints (for around 44,000 spectators), it stood at 4th place in the weekly box office charts and achieved the second highest average attendance figures per print, outscoring several newly released American blockbusters. At the end of November, Samba came close to reaching 100,000 admissions in this market. To date, the only French film monitored by UniFrance Films to have topped 1 million admissions in the Netherlands is The Intouchables by the Toledano-Nakache directing duo (Filmfreak Distributie–12 million admissions in 2012), a score which far outstrips that of another successful title in this market, Sarah's Key (Benelux Film Distribution–493,000 admissions in 2010).